The present invention generally relates to an irrigation-suction handpiece for selectively applying an irrigating fluid to, and withdrawing by suction, unwanted fluid and debris from a surgical operating site.
Hand-held irrigation suction devices have long been used in surgical and dental procedures for various purposes at the operating site or wound, to facilitate the cleaning and lavage of wounds.
Conventionally, the irrigating and suction devices have been combined in a single piece of surgical equipment for convenient hand use by the operator. One such prior art device is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,299,221 to Earl Phillips and Robert Insalaco. This prior art handpiece provides an irrigation-suction handpiece including a handle containing longitudinally extending, side-by-side suction and irrigant passageways respectively connectible to a source of subatmospheric pressure and an irrigant fluid source. An irrigant valve is actuable for alternately opening and blocking flow of irrigant fluid from the source thereof through the irrigant passageway. An air pressure conduit includes a third passageway in the handle and connectible to an air pressure source which is not at atmospheric pressure and not influenced by pressure changes in the suction passageway. The third passageway has a portion in the handle selectively operable by the hand of the operator for effecting a change in the pressure within the third passageway. The irrigant valve has a control input coupled with the air pressure conduit and third passageway and responsive to such change in air pressure therein for shifting between its open and blocking states, to thereby control the flow of irrigant fluid to the operating site.
The third passageway contains a control hole 38. Another control opening 45 is provided which vents the suction passageway to the atmosphere. Tip suction and irrigant flow from the irrigant tip can be provided individually or simultaneously. More particularly, with the handle held in the hand of the operator, the operator may conveniently cover the hole 45 with his thumb or finger. This eliminates the bleed of air through hole 45 into suction passageway such that the full suction, generated at the handpiece by a remote vacuum source, appears at the open forward end of suction tip, for removing fluent materials from the operating site.
Alternatively, the operator's thumb or finger can be used to close hole 38 (instead of or simultaneously with its covering of hole 45). When open, the hole 38 acts as a relief for the third passageway, the gas pressure conduit and the valve control inlet, tending to keep same at near atmospheric pressure. On the other hand, closing of hole 38 causes the third passageway, the gas pressure conduit and the valve control inlet to change pressure, to the pressure of an air pressure source. This change in pressure at the control inlet opens the irrigation valve producing a flow of irrigant liquid from a source through the irrigant passageway and out the front end of the irrigant tip to the operating site.
As long as the operator of this prior art device desires irrigation and/or suction to be provided at the operative site, the operator's finger must keep the respective hole(s) covered. This restricts the hand position of the operator. Even with the suction hole uncovered, a little suction may be present at the forward end of the suction tip. Also, the irrigation valve adds unnecessary complexity to the device.
Another prior art device is described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,993,054 to Gordon Newman. This device relates to only a lavage or irrigating device. The flow of liquid is either allowed or restricted by the manual control of a pinch valve.